Rex Ryan sat on one side of a makeshift dais wearing a starched white shirt and a green tie. The now-infamous tattoo on his upper right arm, of his wife wearing a Mark Sanchez No. 6 jersey and nothing else, was nowhere in sight.

Sitting to Ryan’s left was team owner Woody Johnson, dressed in a starched white shirt with a green tie and an expensive-looking suit jacket. With Johnson’s undying love and support for his head coach the theme to the day, you wondered whether his sharp wardrobe was also concealing a touch of body art — say, of Ryan wearing nothing but a Jets nightshirt.

Eight days after Ryan and Johnson should have conducted their season-closing press conference, the elephant in the room was Sanchez, who is believed to have no tattoos.

Despite the Jets seemingly being stuck with Sanchez because of the guaranteed $8.25 million he has coming to him in 2013 — whether he’s throwing footballs or posing for tattoo artists — neither Ryan nor Johnson sounded very committed to him yesterday.

Both did more waffling than a busy breakfast house when asked about Sanchez, passing the buck to the yet-to-be-hired general manager and offensive coordinator.

The most telling and damning words of Tuesday came from Ryan in an ESPN radio interview later in the day when he said, “We have to play a lot better at the quarterback position. … Whether it’s Sanchez or somebody else, that’s a fact.’’

This is a dramatic departure from the way the franchise has, for four years, publicly fawned over the player they drafted in 2009 with the fifth overall pick and proudly called “The Sanchise.’’

There were a few fibs and some high comedy that came out of yesterday’s dog and pony show at the Florham Park training facility.

The fibs came in the form of Ryan and Johnson saying (with straight faces) the money owed to Sanchez would have no bearing on whether or not he’s a Jet next season.

“The financial part of it … will not have any of the considerations for it,’’ Ryan stammered. “We’ll play the player that fits what we do best, what we believe gives us the best chance.’’

After a pregnant pause, Johnson, with a “what-he-said’’ look, added, “I concur.’’

“We’re looking for the best player at the start of the season, the start of the preseason,’’ Johnson said.

Don’t rule out that player being Sanchez, whom the Jets hope a new offensive coordinator can rehabilitate after two years lost in the wilderness.

This is where the high comedy portion of the program commenced.

Ryan, who seemed determined to recapture his blustery bravado, talked boldly about a new direction for his offense.

“I want to be more of an attack-style team, whether it’s running the pistol or running different types of offenses,’’ Ryan said.

How exactly Ryan expects the Jets, on short notice, to go “Air Coryell’’ on the league with the limited big-play personnel they have on offense sure will be something to watch.

Ryan should have learned his lesson from getting cocky with Sanchez after getting to the AFC Championship in 2009 and 2010. That’s when Ryan went away from the punishing rushing attack that had been so successful with Sanchez as a manager and put the offense in the quarterback’s hands.

The Jets added Plaxico Burress and Derrick Mason to a receiving corps that already had Santonio Holmes and thought Sanchez was going to unleash his inner Tom Brady on the league.

Since that ill-fated shift in philosophy, the Jets are 14-18 with no playoff appearances in two seasons and Sanchez has turned the ball over an NFL-high 52 times.

For the latest shift, Ryan said he wants an offensive coordinator who is going to “have that same attack mentality and unpredictability on offense’’ that he believes his defense has.

With Sanchez and the current personnel? Good luck with that. Ryan might have better luck getting that Sanchez tattoo removed.

“Obviously, if Sanchez doesn’t play better, that number’s changing,’’ Ryan joked of the tattoo. “That’s pretty much a given.’’

The only given is Ryan is a goner by this time next year if he does not get Sanchez or someone else at quarterback to lead the Jets back to the playoffs.